A Lesson on Courage - A Short Story of Nick Raquel

So here's a short online sharing of Nick Raquel, the guy behind the content-rich site http://mutualfundphilippines.com, one that could be a short reflection on that life lesson.

Basa-basa muna. Maligayang Araw ng Kagitingan!

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How did your interest in stocks start?

I was in 3rd year college when I started making money online. And since I became a heavy internet user, I came across with the idea of making money with the stock market. And since my family does not really spend a lot in my education, my brother trusted me with his 15k.

Together with a friend’s 15k, we opened an account in COL.

And since we played the stock market as if we are playing DOTA, we failed and lost 10k within 6 months. But I’m stubborn. We withdrew our funds but kept a promise to myself that I will be back again. And so I did.

How long have you been in Philippine stock market?

Excluding the years between I first started investing, I think it’s about 3 years already.

What's your strategy and plan in doing your investment/trades?

Today, I no longer trade much. I just choose blue chips and hang into it. The rest of my portfolio is invested in mutual funds so I can have more time doing something else.

Any regrets so far?

In investing? None. Every failure is a lesson – a lesson that brings more knowledge. The more I fail, the more I learn.

What lesson(s) do you want to share to others?

Well, I think I just want to share the value of investing.

Every person have their own risk tolerance, and unfortunately, most Filipinos are risk averse. This shows on the percentage of Filipinos invested in the stock market, in comparison to those who chose to put their hard earned money in deposit accounts.

Unfortunately, what they don’t realize is while it’s true that deposit accounts entail virtually zero risk, it means that at the very first day, the investor accepted the battle where he will never win. The primary nemesis? Inflation.

Putting money in deposit accounts is a sure loss, no longer a possibility of occurrence (risk).

However, nobody is to be blamed. It’s a work in progress to spread financial literacy and its advantages to every Pinoy.

What is your greatest investment in life?

Still, the best investment is arming yourself with knowledge, which is gained through education and experience.

Any final shoutout to those just starting to invest?

Still anxious about investing after reading a ton of blogs and books? Ibaba mo na yang libro na yan at isara ang blog na yan. Just do it. Invest!

Change your perspective in failure. It’s a part of the process to success. Don’t be afraid and start investing.

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There you have it! Don't be afraid daw!

Have fun investing (while doing it afraid)!

- Omeng

PS: If you haven't noticed, this blog already has dedicated pages for click-by-click tutorial for beginners. I'm still in the process of cooking the rest of tutorials but for now, if you have a relative or a friend whom you want to introduce to the world of stocks investing, you can direct them to below easy-to-follow tutorials. Even grade-school children should understand that, so konting kalabit mo na lang kelangan. Help them realize what they're missing and they will thank you for that in the future.

PS3: Finally, 2013 version of my ebook is now available, also FREE, and still for beginners! (That's my very little way of extending my pinky finger to those who decide to start changing their lives). Grab your copy here!